The Leap Years (After note)

Taiwan's presidential election 2008 had brought to a closure. Ma Ying-Jieu won by 16% majority vote (58% versus 42% for Frank Hsieh).

Ah Long should be one of the happiest persons on earth. He wanted the sky to change colour from Green to Blue. Now the sky has turned blue as he wished. 58% blue. This is another moment of democracy. The thrust of democracy.

水能载舟亦能覆舟.

The two presidential candidates had adopted gentleman approach after the result was released. They not only showed greatest respect to the wishes of Taiwanese, they also showed greatest mutual respect towards their opponent. To me this is already a great leap of democracy of Taiwan as compared to the previous elections.

Ma Ying-Jieu didn't write off DPP. In deed he gave credit to DPP who has contributed to the democracy movement of Taiwan, '这次的选举，大家当然有许多批评，甚至有许多的火花，但是我们从来不敢忽视民进党在过去的几十年当中对台湾民主、台湾进步的贡献......不论输赢如何，我们同感骄傲.民主自由是台湾最珍贵的资产，我们生活在其中平常也许感觉不到，但一旦到关键时刻，民主自由所展现的力量是沛然莫之能御.这是台湾最大的资产，也是台湾最迷人的资产.' Ma Yin-Jieu phrased his opponent for his frank and gentleman politician style.

Frank Hsieh admitted defeat, '台湾选民已经用选票作出决定，我接受败选的事实.我在这里要恭喜马英九先生和萧万长先生...民主包括结果，也包括过程，过程难免有争议，但是我们接受，不愿再有抗争，让我们的社会非常迅速地能够修补因为选举所留下来的裂痕，让我们的人民能够很快地生活在爱与信任的环境里面.'

Walked to the end of his political journey, Frank Hsieh showed the strongest part of his character,'这是我个人的挫折，不是台湾主体性的倒退，是民主的结果，不是民主的失败.台湾的发展从来就不是顺风而行，风愈大我们愈要走，我们要永远跟人民站在一起，衷心地为台湾祝福，我们相信人民，也相信台湾.' He had ended his political career graciously.


[台北实景 a scene in Taibei：是‘大中至正’还是‘自由广场’？]

A friend (Yeo) put his personal thought through SMS, '台湾人民终于不再以意识形态投票，为台湾的胜利，台湾的民主欢呼.'

I said he sounded like half of a Taiwanese, he said, '为他们闷了八年了，更为了我们少了那一点点的民主而遗憾.'

Don't worry. The leap year is just a moment of sensation, a moment of excitement. Day after tomorrow life will be back to normal.